Public Safety Department and
Emergency Preparedness

Public Safety Officers

College Of The Desert Public Safety Officers are non-sworn. Public Safety Department Officers are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Officers patrol campuses routinely to ensure as safe and secure an environment as possible via foot patrols, bicycle, segways, golf carts and patrol units.

MOU's with Local Law Enforcement

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction on the Palm Desert and Mecca Thermal campuses and enforces State and local laws. Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Desert Hot Springs Police Departments have jurisdiction on their respective campuses and enforce state and local laws.  They also enforce any Vehicle Code violations, and complete investigations of all criminal and traffic cases that occur in those campus jurisdictions.

Lost and Found Items

The Public Safety Department safe keeps all Lost and Found items on all campuses. All items turned in are inventoried and stored for 90 days. Every attempt is made to locate the owner and return their property to them.

If you find lost property please turn it in to the Public Safety Department office in a timely manner so that an attempt to locate the owner can occur.  If you have lost an item you may also contact your Campus Public Safety Department Dispatch:

                 760-341-2111

 

Reporting a Crime

Potential criminal actions, other life-threatening emergencies on or near campus can be reported by dialing 9-1-1 from any campus extension or cell phone.  You may also dial 2111 from a campus extension or 760-341-2111 from a cell phone to reach Public Safety Department 24 hours a day.  If you are reporting a 9-1-1 call from a campus extension it notifies the Public Safety Department.  

Parking Enforcement

Semester parking permits can be purchased online here​. No person may park in a disabled parking space without a current DMV Disabled placard that is issued to the driver.

• Palm Desert Campus:  Daily permits can be purchased for $1.00 in lots 4, 14, 23 and 28. Students may NOT park in the public library side of the parking lot (south side), McCallum Theatre parking (west side of the McCallum Theatre), or staff/faculty parking at anytime. Staff parking must have a staff permit visible.  Disabled Parking must have a placard or license plate displayed. Motorcycles display a COD Parking permit.  No parking in the red curb or fire lane at any time permitted.​
• ​Eastern Valley/Indio Campus:  staff parking must have a staff permit visible.  Disabled Parking must have a placard or license plate displayed. No parking in the red curb or fire lane at any time permitted.
• Western Valley/Palm Springs Campus:  staff parking must have a staff permit visible.  Disabled Parking must have a placard or license plate displayed. No parking in the red curb or fire lane at any time permitted.
• Mecca Thermal Campus:  staff parking must have a staff permit visible.  Disabled Parking must have a placard or license plate displayed. No parking in the red curb or fire lane at any time permitted​.

Any vehicle on the Palm Desert campus must have
a parking permit or a daily parking permit (from the self parking machines located on the Palm Desert Campus.  **All staff vehicles must have a valid staff permit displayed to park in a staff lot.

Parking Contest Forms

If you are issued a citation and feel that you have grounds to contest the citation, you may fill out a Parking Contest Form. This form must be filled out within the 21 day period once the citation is issued or the citation must be paid.  Once the citation has passed the 21 day period without being contested or paid it begins to accrue late fees with the DMV.  *The DMV is responsible for their own fees COD can not refund and late fees due the DMV.

Failure to display a valid parking permit is not grounds to file a parking contest form.​​​​​​  Parking in a staff lot without a staff pass is not grounds to file a parking contest form.  For more information please visit your Public Safety Department on your campus, or call 760-341-2111.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

        Jill Mikles-Probst, Administrative Assistant   760-776-7250